An alert pharmacist tripped up three men who traveled from Illinois to Sparta last week to fill a fraudulent prescription.

According to Sparta Police Chief Andrew Milanowski, three men from out of state were arrested on Friday, February 10, by the Sparta Police Department for Conspiracy to Obtain a Controlled Substance by Fraud.

The three men were stopped by a Sparta Police Officer after one of them attempted to get phenergan with codeine and amoxicillin from the false prescription. The suspect fled the pharmacy before obtaining any items.

“I want to point out that these suspects would not have been caught had it not been for an alert and suspicious Pharmacist,” said Milanowski.

The prescription was reportedly phoned in, and the pharmacist thought it was suspicious, and phoned the doctor who supposedly prescribed it. When one of the men came in to pick it up, the pharmacist tried to stall him, but the man left.

The three men are identified as Lavelle Butler, age 25 of Riverdale, Illiniois; Roberto House, age 23 of Chicago, Illinois; and Jermaine Traylor, age 23 also of Chicago, Illinois.

Jermaine Traylor faces the charges of: Conspiracy to Obtain a Controlled Substance by Fraud; Possession of Marijuana; Driving on a Suspended License; and Providing false information (his name) to a police officer. He is also being held on an extradition warrant out of the state of Illinois for failing to appear in court for similar prescription fraud charges. Bond was set at $25,000.

Lavelle Butler faces the charge of Conspiracy to Obtain a Controlled Substance by Fraud. Bond was set at $20,000.

Roberto House faces the charge of Conspiracy to Obtain a Controlled Substance by Fraud. Bond was set at $20,000.